Niskayuna High School

Since 1974,Now Weekly

January 16, 2004 Volume 30, Issue 14

Wellness Committee formed by teachersby Leanne Merrill

NEWS

Several teachers at Niskayuna HighSchool have been participating in health-related activities put on by the recentlyformed Wellness Committee. The commit-tee, formed by English teacherBecky Smith and Human Ecol-ogy teacher Lonnie Wilson, isdesigned to make wellness pro-grams available for teachers.According to Wilson, the pur-pose of having it at the school isto make it “convenient” forteachers, because “well teach-ers are happy teachers.”

The idea was brought up atthe first faculty meeting, whenassistant superintendent LynnMacan talked about wellnessas a theme for the school year.The primary goals of the bud-ding organization were to pro-vide fitness and wellnessclasses for teachers. In Novem-ber, a nutrition seminar washeld, with a speaker fromSunnyview Wellness Center.Additionally, a stress seminarwas held on Monday, withspeaker Dr. Anne Chapman.

The group has also been sponsoring afitness series, including Pilates and PowerYoga classes. This Monday, the first BodySculpting class in a series of six was held.These classes will continue every Mondaywhen there is school until the end of Febru-ary. Look for updates in The Warrior’s bi-

weekly News Briefs.The unofficial committee is aiming to

get fitness center and pool time for teach-ers before school . Also, members plan toform a district-wide committee, so elemen-tary school and middle school teachers

will be able to partake in the classes andevents as well.

A memo was sent out to all faculty in thedistrict recently, discussing the group’seffort and requesting a representative fromall five elementary schools and both middleschools in the district. The committee wantsthese representatives in order to be able to

reach out to different schools more easilyand get more people involved by havingdirect links to them.

A meeting for all teachers interested inparticipating in any activities will be heldTuesday, January 27, in the English Re-

source Center at the high school.This informal meeting is to helporganize and direct members ofthe club as well as attract newones. Further plans will be dis-cussed on Friday March 19,when there will be a staff devel-opment day and meetings forteachers; no students will be inschool that day.

One objective that Smith andWilson plan to focus on is theeffort to make pedometers (step-counters) available for teach-ers. They plan to have each per-son interested contribute moneyand buy pedometers in bulk sothey cost less. They plan to usetheir pedometers and becomeaffiliated with “America on theMove,” a national organizationwhich encourages physical ac-tivity. The goal set out by thisorganization is 10,000 steps

per day, and the teachers plan to followthis model and track their progress alongwith each other.

For other information, contact BeckySmith in the English Resource Center (382-2511, ext. 4351) or email her atsmith.r@nisk.k12.ny.us. Lonnie Wilson canbe emailed at wilson.l@nisk.k12.ny.us.

NHS to offer English course in fantasyBy Lesley Yemi Adewunmi

NEWS

The 2004-2005 Program ofStudies includes many newadditional classes to be offeredto students, including the newFantasy English elective. Thissemester-long course, createdby English teacher JamesEdgar, will be offered to se-niors next year.

The course will focus on thecontemporary fantasy genre,

in reintroducing such a course,and proposed his idea to theBoard of Education.

“[I have been] seeing morestudent interest in fantasybooks, judging by student’schoice reading selections” saidEdgar, referring to one of themany reasons that he wantedto introduce the new elective.According to Edgar and other

(Continued page 3,FANTASY)

and will include discussions,writing, and literature. TheHobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien is oneof the two novels mentioned inthe Program of Studies, theother being Harry Potter andthe Sorcerers Stone by J.K.Rowling. Additional novelswhich might be used in thecurriculum of the class are AWizard of Earthsea by UrsulaLeGuin and Dragonflight byAnne McCaffery. All these

books must yet be approved bythe CORE curriculum commit-tee.

A fantasy literaure electivecourse has been offered in otherlocal schools, includingBethlehem High School.Niskayuna used to offer a sci-ence-fiction literature courseat the high school in the 1970’s,but it was discontinued becauseof lack of interest.

Edgar was highly interested

A WORLD OF WELLNESS: English teacher Becky Smith, left, andHealth teacher Lonnie Wilson recently founded a Wellness Committee forteachers across the district.

Warrior Photo / Leanne Merrill

2 News January 16, 2004 The Warrior

By Julia NapolitanoNEWS

In the Niskayuna HighSchool’s 2004-2005 Programof Studies, many studentsfound a new course titled “In-troductory Russian,” to betaught by Edward Alston,District Director of the for-eign language in theNiskayuna School District.

The full-year elective willbe offered to seniors and jun-iors interested in becomingacquainted with Russian cul-ture, history, and language,providing them with a suffi-cient foundation on which toadvance their Russian skillsupon entering college. Theproposal to begin such acourse had already been pre-sented last school year, re-ceiving keen interest from Su-perintendent KevinBaughman, but conflicts inthe school schedule kept itfrom coming to fruition.Thanks to much perseverance

and support, that proposal isto become a reality.

“I love teaching Russian,”

said Alston, explaining thatit is “an access to a cultureand history that I think is therichest in the world…to ig-nore it is a bad thing.”

Russia’s music, architecture,and history were among themost noteworthy things he

mentioned, along with howhospitable its people are. “Youdon’t walk into a Russianhome without having a hotmeal [placed before you].”

Alston instituted a Russianprogram at Brunswick’sTamarac High School, wherehe worked for twenty years.For fifteen years, he organizedan annual exchange betweenthat school and one in Russia,an experience through whichstudents’ speaking ability andtheir knowledge of the cul-ture really showed. He firmlybelieves that, with immedi-ate immersion, students will-ing to put forth effort and en-thusiasm have the potentialto speak an impressiveamount of Russian in just oneyear. He aims at creating anatmosphere that culminatesin both productivity and fun.

Students will be intro-duced to the Russian (alsoknown as Cyrillic) alphabetso that they will become com-fortable in reading and writ-ing , enabling them to de-velop their sentence struc-

(Continued on page 3,NISKAYUNA)

Russian course in store for NHS students

by Briana KehlNEWS

Next year, four Business classes atNiskayuna High School will be addedto those that offer university credit tostudents enrolled in the class. Creditwill be given to those who maintain atleast a C average, and, for AP courses,fulfill the AP exam at the end of the year.

For the past fifteen years, theSchenectady County Community Col-lege (SCCC) has supported the Uni-versity in the High School (UHS) pro-gram idea of awarding college creditsin the high school, because of the largenumber of advanced students. Thispractice is seen as a well-deserved,positive incentive for students to chal-lenge themselves in areas in whichthey excel. The courses that have beenapproved for university credit throughthe SCCC are Business Analysis,taught by Joanna Reader; BusinessLaw, taught by Janice Lindsay andMichelle Stopera; and Commerce andMarketing, both taught by Lindsay.

One of the best things about get-ting college credit early on is the cost;in this instance, it will cost $25 per

credit earned through SCCC, insteadof the overwhelming $300 one spendsto take the equivalent of one of thesecourses at SCCC. Another advantageis that it is impressive on college ap-plications, setting an individual apartfrom others who have yet to acquireany advanced credit.

“At the end of the year I will havetaken 11 college courses,” said An-drew Mack, a senior. Many studentswho are currently enrolled in theseclasses or intend to take them are ex-cited at this prospect. Some studentswho have already passed these coursesin previous years are frustrated thatthey missed out. Said junior AmolMehta, “I think it’s absolutely ridicu-lous that I took these classes and don’tget that credit.”

While there are some schools thatdon’t accept these credits, it doesn’thurt to enroll in these courses andwork for the advanced recognition.Many colleges, however, both in andout of the state, will indeed take thecredits, including all SUNY schools.

Many Niskayuna High School stu-dents graduate with more high school

credits than required. Having the accessto a variety of accelerated courses allowsstudents to build strong foundations inthe areas they are interested in wellbefore declaring any definite area ofstudy. In order to earn the credits, onemust fill out two forms: one for thecourse you are taking, and the other asproof of Niskayuna residence.

If you do not live in the town ofNiskayuna, it is necessary to go toyour local treasurer’s office (oftenwithin Town Hall), and obtain a Proofof Residence form.

Students who become members ofthe SCCC can experience college levelcourses and campus life before evenlooking at colleges because they getaccess to all of the SCCC facilities.These include the Learning Center,Computer Labs, Language Labs, ath-letic and sport activities/events, theLibrary, and Tutoring Services.

“It is one of the best things wecould have done for the students and Iwish it could have been availablesooner,” said Stopera.

Business students to get college credit

RUSHIN’ FOR RUSSIAN: Mr. Alston, language department head andteacher of next year’s Russian course displays his Golden Fish of Russia.

Warrior photo / Julia Napolitano

� � � � � Additional Reporting by EvanBallan

Niskayuna courses expanded to provide more student opportunties

3NewsJanuary 16, 2004The Warrior

(continued from page 1,NHS)

teachers in the English De-partment, there seems to bea growing interest in thegenre, especially with the“new fans of fantasy” thatare arising.

The course is intended toobserve, discuss, and ana-lyze woks of fantasy, andcompare the characteristicsof fantasy to other forms ofliterature, as well as cin-ema. The origins of thegenre and the relations be-tween contemporary fan-

Fantasy class added to course selectionstasy, mythology and Anglo-Saxon epic will also be stud-ied.

This i s no fa iry - ta lecourse, so don’t expect char-acters like Peter Pan andAlice from Alice in Wonder-land . However, studentsparticipating in the classwill be analyzing wizards,dragons, heroes, and hero-ines from other works of fic-tion. Through the writingand reading required in theclass, students will learnhow to make sense of anunfamiliar setting where the

June 2003 Physics RegentsExam Scores Curved

The State of Education recently made drastic changes to thescoring of the June 2003 Physics Regents Exam. The State ofEducation Department recently released a new scoring chart,curving the previous scores up significantly. The state average forthe June 2003 Physics was a 50%. Students who took this examhad their scores increased by as much as 18 percentile points. Forexample, students who scored a 47% received a 65%, therebypassing the exam. However, if the students had a high originalscore, such as a 96%, their score was only increased by 2%. For thefull conversion chart, go to http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/deputy/_assessment/6-03-physicsscoring.htm.

rules are all different, whichMr. Edgar feels is a goodpreparation for studentsabout to make the transi-tion to college.

“Students who choose thiscould should be people wholike reading fantasy,” ex-plained Edgar as a prereq-uisite for the course. Stu-dents will be required to dowriting, both analytical andcreative, and may also havethe opportunity to write fan-tasy stories. “This class willbe just like most Englishelective courses: there will

����� by Eric Zhou

(continued from page 2,RUSSIAN)

to develop their sentence structure and con-verse on basic daily topics. There will be agreat emphasis on Russian culture and his-tory, something that Alston says Americansdon’t know enough about. Textbooks andother classroom materials have yet to besecured, though Alston offered insight intotwo possible sources. One is the RussianCivics Book, written by Niskayuna SocialStudies teachers Susan Burke and CatherineSnyder, which has yet to come out. Another possible classroom resource willbe a book by Dr. Sophia Lubensky, Alston’sformer professor from the University atAlbany, who is credited with writing “thebest Russian-American Phraseological Dic-tionary,” available through Random House,which Alston feels is an outstanding re-source for those traveling in Russia or learn-ing the language. The work took Dr. Ubenskytwelve years to complete and would likelyserve as a useful reinforcement for nextyear’s class.

Enthusiasm about the new class was highamong the student body. Commented jun-ior Katie Sheehan, “I think it is a greatopportunity. Familiarity with languages isbecoming crucial in today’s society, and thiscourse allows us to expand our knowledge.”Karen Lagasse, a sophomore, shared hersentiment, saying, “Taking Russian will besomething very useful…it’s not a Romancelanguage, or something you can easily learnby knowing another language.”

The course is being offered exclusively toupperclassmen not only because this willreserve the opportunity for departing stu-dents, but also because of its being a single

be reading, writing, discus-sions, tests, quizzes, and pa-pers,” Edgar commented, alsosaying that the course is dif-ferent in that it is focusedonly on the genre of fantasy,just like other senior Englishelectives, which focus stu-dents on specific genres ofthe English language.

All of these plans andgoals for the new course arestill in progress. Edgar isworking on a syllabus butsaysthat the success of theclass “depends a lot on stu-dent interest.”

year course, without a option of progressionto a higher level. If learned within a rela-tively short time of their taking a collegeRussian course, students will better retaintheir knowledge. Seniors will be given prioritybefore juniors.

“It’s very exciting that they’re offering thiscourse…I’ve been wanting to take anotherlanguage, and it’s nice to have an introductorycourse like this,” said Luke Rollins, a junior.

The purpose of Introductory Russian is toprovide a start for those wanting to learn thelanguage, which entails much more than justthe language itself. Indeed, Alston’s special-ization in Russian studies began when he took

a similar course in high school in addition toFrench.

“The class changed my life,” he said, recall-ing how great an inspiration it was forhim to pursue the language and achievethe fluency he exercises today. The onlyconcern that he voiced was regardingthe time. “There’s so much I want themto know!” he said, in reference to thestudents.

The class promises to be interesting,informative, and enjoyable. “I want tomake sure we have a really, really goodtime,” said Alston. “You can learn a tonand still have a good time.”

Foreign Langauge District Director to teach new Russian courseNiskayuna curriculum gains new course

4 Opinion4 Opinion

The Warrior

The Warrior is published eachFriday the high school has classes(33 times a year).

For a one-year subscription, senda check for $25 payable toNiskayuna High School to The War-rior, Attn: Subscriptions, 1626Balltown Rd., Niskayuna, NY12309.

Niskayuna High School1626 Balltown RoadNiskayuna, NY 12309

(518) 382-2511, Ext. 351http://www.nisk.k12.ny.us/nhs/

warrior/

T H E S TA F FEDITORS-IN-CHIEF: Tae Andrews,

Elspeth EdelsteinNEWS EDITORS: Jesse Conti, Leanne

Merrill, Julia Napolitano, JeremyWolos

ASST. NEWS: Nate StaudingerOPINION EDITORS: Kishori Rajan, Alec

WilsonASST. OPINION: Evan BallanENTERTAINMENT EDITOR: Stephanie

Blair, Matt LarkinSPORTS EDITORS: Jonathan Chow, Lisa

D’AnielloASST. SPORTS: Peter ChalfinMAGAZINE EDITORS: Alice Lee, Anna Yu,

Kathryn FantauzziASST. MAGAZINE: Anjana RajanDISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Jackie NguyenBUSINESS MANAGER: Erik DonhoweADVERTISING MANAGER: Jonas ChangGRAPHICS COORDINATOR: Evan FenaroliCOPY EDITOR: Abby AlgerADVISORS: James Edgar, Russell

McDowell

January 16, 2003 The Warrior

EDITORIAL POLICIES

ALL OPINIONS expressed onthe op-ed pages represent theindividual viewpoints of theirauthors. The content does notnecessarily represent the viewsof The Warrior, the high school,the school district or the boardof education.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR are wel-come from all members of the schoolcommunity. The Warrior reservesthe right to edit letters for grammarand length.

UNSIGNED EDITORIALS represent theconsensus of the paper’s editorialboard, which may not reflect themajority of the students’ views.

THE OP-ED PAGES are a forum forstudents’ opinions and ideas.

EDITORIAL

by Josh XionOPINION

Abortion not a clear issue

More snow discretion neededWhen it comes to snow, both delays

and days, we need to change and mendour ways. When the roads are treach-erous and wet, a one hour delay is ourbest bet.

For seniors navigat-ing harsh winternalweather, we need tocollaborate and standtogether. Three inches,although relatively innocent, can stillmake cars crash and leave fenders bent.When winter whites out senior park-ing lines, senior parking is not so fine.Poor parking, a result of this misfor-tune, can lead to wrecks and insuranceextortion. And if the snow keeps theplows at bay, fear not in springing for

If there’s one thingthat’s consistent with po-litical issues, it is thatthey aren’t black andwhite; everything is sub-jective and based on cir-cumstances, especiallyabortion. You can’t (or atleast you shouldn’t) bestaunchly “Pro-Life” or“Pro-choice;” you shouldonly declare yourself lean-ing towards one or theother. I say this becausefor every issue, especiallyabortion, there will al-ways be a circumstancewhen your policies areeasily refuted. Though Ilean towards “Pro-Choice,” we should stillkeep in mind that bothsides make good points.

Take, for example, thearguments of the “Pro-Choice” activists. Manydeclare the arguments ofabortion being “evil” bythe “Pro-Life” side as asi-nine, which is somethingthey should also recon-sider (although oneshould reconsider howvalid “evil” is, since that’ssubjective to one’s ownmorals). “Pro-Life” activ-ists make a valid pointwhen they feel that justi-fication of “destroying a

life or at least the opportu-nity for life” is somewhatsketchy. We may argue thatthe beginning of life is sub-jective to one’s own philoso-phy or religion, as definedin Webster’s, and thus ar-gue that people should havethe right to determine whatto do with their own bod-ies, but such a definition istoo vague, and even re-futes the most basic lawsand ethics of society. Forexample, based on thatdefinition, some lunaticcould say that I am notalive and therefore justifymy murder. Such an ar-gument may sound pa-thetic, but we can’t ignorethe fact that that can beimplied from the natureof the def init ion thatWebster’s provides.

If we are to take the “Pro-Life” side, consider the fol-lowing question:

Would you want to beaborted? As pathetic andirrational as that sounds,it does make sense. I knowthat I certainly wouldn’thave wanted to have been“aborted” and not given thechance to determine myown future. I know for afact that I don’t want thedecision of whether or not Ishould live be subject tothe whim of someone else.

Yes, it’s true that mostmothers have abortionsbecause they feel thattheir child will not have ahappy life given the cir-cumstances and environ-ment that the child willbe born into, but is thatany justification for notgiving the child the op-portunity of life at all? Ican assure you that manychildren in third-worldnations have it harderthan children born to par-ents out of wedlock, orsingle, teenage mothers,but we don’t go aroundarguing that they shouldbe “put out of their mis-ery.” The bottom line : weshould all be given thechance to defy our circum-stances and overcome anyobstacles in life. It’s notfair to someone to nothave life because of theopinions of their parents.

By this point, you prob-ably have formed the im-pression that I’m strictly“Pro-Life,” which is nottrue. I’m just considering“Pro-Life” arguments,because by my defini-tion, it’s wrong to destroythe “potential for life” inwhich the potential forlife begins with con-

(Continued on page 5,DEBATE)

the full snow day. A looser snow policywould not bring ruin, merely immediateapplause and boos in June. For thoseunblessed with snow tires, a winter snowstorm becomes a winter quagmire.

In this fight we arenot alone; the teacherswould also like to stayhome. At least delaywhen winter growls,

dumps snow on us and howls. But forcedattendance when the weather is bad, isworse than vile or repulsive; it’s mad.This unfair justice, when the roads arejust ice, is neither moral, safe nor nice.When the white stuff sticks in clumps andclods, please think “Cancel!” (school, notjust first mod.)

5OpinionJanuary 16, 2004The Warrior

by Marina DoschOPINION

Every day I religiously make my way tothe Media Center for Mods 5 and 6. I knowI am not the only one who considers theMedia Center a sanctuary from the rowdycafeteria and overpowering silence of studyhalls. The library is one of the few placesin the school where students can go tofinish up homework, find sources forprojects and huddle in groups to studyfor an upcoming test.

Lately, however, I find it frustrat-ing to attempt to complete assign-ments (or books) in peace. Tensionbetween the staff and students makefor an uncomfortable relationship, andalso makes it virtually impossible forwork to be successfully accomplished.

The students that use the MediaCenter have an unwritten, unspokenunderstanding; the silent study areasare for those who wish to work alone andseriously, but the front tables are usedfor groups of students working together,whether it be on a huge project or simplystudying together for a test next block.When I am in the silent study area, it is notuncommon for me to hear the constantmurmur of the more social tables, but itisn’t bothersome. Many would argue thatit is very difficult for a group to worktogether if they can’t verbally communi-cate. However, it is somehow consideredunacceptable to many of the staff in thelibrary. I consider myself to be somewhatstudious and well-behaved, and yet I can-not count how many reprimands I’ve re-ceived in the “social section” for being tooloud. None of the other students seem to be

upset or disrupted in the least by my voice.Perhaps it would be more efficient andhelpful if those who werequite o b -

v i -ously notworking were asked to leave, rather thaninterfering with groups of people that wereactually accomplishing something. An-other issue faced by those who wish to usethe Media Center is the ever so common“kick-out” situation. When a class is usingthe Media Center for research or a lecture,it is somehow improbable that anyone elsewill be able to squeeze in by themselves toget some homework done or to read a book.

It is not unheard of for the Media to turnaway students if the room is “too full,” andrefuse even the most persuasive teens thepermission to simply sit on the floor out-side the library to study. This leaves thestudents with nowhere to go to complete

their work. The lunch room is obviouslynot a very good place to edit an essay orreread a text chapter, but if the libraryis closed we have no choice but to re-turn to the New Cafeteria during lunchmods, since we aren’t allowed to walkthrough any other halls. Of course itisn’t a good idea to crowd the librarywith too many people, especially whenthere is a class going on, but perhapsallowing an unwavering few to use theramp in the hallway as a study areawill bring peace to the issue in a situ-ation like this.

It is easy to wonder why these prob-lems are even an issue; in many casesthese are small happenings that seem tobe of no importance and it seems easierjust follow the guidelines. However, most

of the student body is not familiar with thepolicies of the Media Center, and sometimesit appears that the rules have changed fromday to day, hence making for a troublesomesituation and many unhappy people.

Despite the constant grumbling and amore negative outlook toward the librarynowadays, I still consider it my fortress ofrefuge. Maybe if we all try and cooperate alittle bit better the Media Center will be-come the utopia we have always dreamed itto be. By working together to reform thestaff policies and the student attitude, work-ing and studying in the library could becomea pleasurable experience for everyone.

Reading into the tension in the library

-ception. Taking on the“Pro-Choice” side, we need toconsider that most acts ofabortion are because of lifethreatening circumstances, asin partial-birth abortion. Ithink it’s only logical thenthat we legalize abortionwhen the mother’s life isthreatened, because it’s obvi-ously better to lose one lifethan two (in most cases boththe mother and the child per-ish). Looking at the bill ban-

(Continued from page 4,ABORTION)

ning partial-birth abortionthat was passed by Congress,there are some obvious flaws,including the exclusion ofabortion legitimacy when themother’s life is threatened.Obviously, this bill needs tobe revised.

I agree that it’s difficult topinpoint the legitimacy orillegitimacy of abortion be-cause we are entitled to ourown bodies and what we doto them. I think we shouldbe allowed to inflict as muchpain or pleasure on ourselves

and deal as much damage toour own bodies so long as weremember that “the poten-tial for life” is somethingbeyond our own choice .Again, both sides make goodpoints, and all aspects needto be considered (for ex-ample, rape and life-threat-ening circumstances of themother for the “Pro-Choice”side). I just think that theimportance of life outweighsthings like a woman’s ca-reer opportunities, her so-cial standing, or even the

probability of the baby hav-ing a bad life.

What we need to alwaysconsider is that there arecircumstances when the op-posite side strikes a validpoint, and we need to makesure we don’t automaticallyportray their arguments aswrong. Because, when youconsider issues as serious asabortion, where for some it’sa matter of life or death, weneed to make sure that wedon’t have rigid opinions andsee the big picture.

Debate about abortion not black and whiteAn objective stance is needed for issue that is debatable on both sides

Warrior Art / Anjuli Nirmalan

6 Entertainment January 16, 2004 The Warrior

by Alex RivadeneiraENTERTAINMENT

Before you snub URU: AgesBeyond MYST as another mind-numbing MYST title and advertyour eyes in fear of death-by-bore-dom from this article, take an-other look at the game thatTIME magazine calls one ofthe best of 2003 and criticseverywhere are applauding.

Not familiar with the MYSTseries? Don’t worry. In reality,URU (pronounced oo-roo) ismore of a spin-off from theprevious games, MYST,Riven, and Exile, than an-other sequel in the series.No knowledge of the historybehind the game is neededin order to play. In fact,URU has been specificallydesigned to appeal to avidfans and new adventuregamers alike.

Unlike its predecessors,URU is presented in real-time 3D, with stunninglybeautiful photorealisticgraphics. Each scene in URUis skillfully rendered withseamlessly tied texture ap-plication. There are mini-mal static elements inURU’s enormous environ-ments. Trees sway in thewind, animals move about,things break, weather andtime change. The water ef-fects in URU are particularlybreathtaking, as rendered wa-ter bubbles, splashes, and glis-tens convincingly. Remarkablyenough, through all of these spec-tacular effects, players can navi-gate in complete freedom, run-ning, jumping, climbing, wad-ing or carrying on conversationswith friends. Right from the be-ginning, if only graphically, it’sobvious that URU isn’t your aver-age video game.

Before starting the game, us-ers create and customize theirown avatar, the character whichrepresents them on screen andis useful for the optionalmultiplayer game play. URU’savatar customization featuresare impressive, allowing play-ers to adjust feature by feature.Most people are able to create

accurate likenesses, if they sochoose to portray themselves re-alistically. With the avatar fea-ture, options for game play in firstand third person are available.After avatars are complete, play-ers are whisked away to being theadventure of a lifetime.

Those familiar with the MYSTseries know that the entire premiseis built around the concept of ‘link-ing books,’ which act as portals toother universes. Disguised as mere

hardcover books, linking books arewritten in a special language, de-scribing various worlds which theyprovide portals. From a gamedesigner’s standpoint, the link-ing book concept opens a near-endless number of possibilitiesto create diverse environmentsfor users to explore. Each link-ing book can provide a link to acompletely different universe.Players never know what theywill stumble across.

As the story goes, the writersof these books, the D’ni, livedunder the surface of the earthfor 10,000 years— up until about200 years ago.

The D’ni civilization exists nolonger, but a group of archeolo-gists recently rediscovered the lostcivilization underneath NewMexico. In the ancient D’ni city

researchers have also found anumber of the fabled linking booksand are currently working on res-toration of these worlds so thatthey can be safe for public visits.Players in URU get caught up in afeud between various groups whohave differing opinions on how therestoration of D’ni and its worldsshould take place.

The game begins in the modernNew Mexican desert, the placewhere archeologists discovered the

first remains of the D’ni. Playershave no idea how they arrived,what they have to do or why theyare there. After some explorationplayers meet up with the mysteri-ous Prof. Zandi. He instructs those’“who feel the call,” as he refersto new explorers, to inspect anearby excavation site and lis-ten to holographic messages leftby an eccentric D’ni woman. Byfurther unlocking secrets in thedesert, players discover a fabledlinking book that connects to asmall island world. The islandin the clouds becomes theplayer’s personal home andserves as a hub for further ex-ploration of the D’ni civilization.

From the personal world, thejourney just begins. The gamecontains seven main locations toinvestigate, from a swampy world

URU: the video game for the agesfilled with gigantic mushrooms, toa colossal fortress complex in themiddle of a jungle, all wrappedin a fantastic storyline and mys-tifying atmosphere. Explorerswho complete the offline versionof the game can continue onlineand enjoy multiplayer features.Regular updates will be madeavailable to those who pay amonthly fee, (the price of whichis yet to be determined, as theonline version has not yet been

released) and the game andstoryline will continue toexpand and unfold forever.

You can order your copyof URU online or from yourfavorite software retailerfor about $50. This priceincludes a full, offline ver-sion of the game (equiva-lent to MYST, Riven or Ex-ile in game play), plus onefree month to try out theonline version of URU,URU Live, which has notyet officially launched.

While URU is an out-standing title, a must-havefor any devoted computergamer, it requires a top-of-the-line system in order tofunction correctly. If you’reinterested in purchasingURU, make sure that yourcomputer is up to URU’slisted system requirements.URU is meant to be played

on newer computer systems cali-brated for maximum visual andaudio effects. While it’s well worththe value of $50, even the bestsoftware is useless if it doesn’tfunction correctly.

In a lot of ways URU is likereal life. Creator Rand Millerbelieves that humans, by na-ture, have an instinctive desireto explore. As people grow olderand become familiar with thereal world, experience some-what diminishes the excite-ment of adventure and discov-ery. Games like URU providesafe yet mysterious and puz-zling environments for peopleto safely have adventures fromthe convenience and securityof their own homes. URUmakes for a unique and enjoy-able gift for any gamer.

graphic courtesey cyanworlds.com

DON’T TRIP: This shroom room is part of Teledahn, a land in URU. Don’t get lostamong the massive mushrooms.

7SportsJanuary 16, 2004The Warrior

Wrestling team contends for sectional title

Warrior photo / Lizi Santillo

GOING FOR THE PIN: Two Niskayuna wrestlers practice their moveson each other at a recent practice in the wrestling gym.

by Anthony GuzmanSPORTS

The Niskayuna varsitywrestling team, filled withpromising young talent, looksforward to a successful sea-son. Despite the loss of long-time head coach Joe Bena,who retired after last season,and the transfer of former as-sistant coach Frank Popolizioto Shenendehowa, the teamhas remained strong. The newcoaching staff consists of var-sity head coach Kris West andassistant Dan Guerin, both ofwhom are experienced andknowledgeable in the sport.

Competing in Section II,the team remains undefeatedwith a record of 8-0. Overall,the team is 8-2, competingagainst standout teams, some of whichare from other states, includingSpencerport and Mt. Anthony. Saidjunior Ben Gifford, “Coach West is do-ing an excellent job in Bena's absence.The coaches are making sure our teamwill be a strong contender for the Sub-urban Council and the Sectional title.”

The team has opened the seasonstrong, with commanding victoriesover Bethlehem and Burnt Hills. Al-though the Times Union has rankedNiskayuna sixth overall in the area,the team has already beaten higherranked teams such as Hudson Fallsand Columbia. Against Columbia, itwas a pin by junior Anthony DeRocco,after being down 7-2, that secured the

Warrior photo / Lizi Santillo

DON’T CRY UNCLE: Junior Ben Gifford tries to use his force against anopponent in a recent practice.

team’s win 40-35.Most recently, the team won third

place at the Queensbury Holiday Tour-nament. Niskayuna’s only losses thisyear were against Suf fern andSpencerport. Spencerport is from Sec-tion V and is one of the top teams inthe state. Overall, Niskayuna isranked thirtieth in the state.

West has provided his team withseveral opportunities to learn and im-prove. Scrimmaging against Mt. An-thony, the Warriors had the chance tocompete against one of the most domi-nant teams from Vermont.

Also, Niskayuna High School hostedthe Northeast Duals, a college tour-nament, on December 21. “[Coach

West] has lined usup against somegreat competitionthis year, like thescrimmage at Mt.Anthony andSpencerport,” saidGifford. “They werevaluable experi-ences for our en-tire team.”

As one of the topteams in thehighly -compet i -t ive Section II ,this year’s squadi m p r e s s i v e l yboasts some of thebest wrestlers inthe area. In Sec-t ion I I , seniorSteve Johnas, jun-

ior Louis Kiernan, and jun-ior Cory Daniels are the top-ranked wrestlers in the 152lb., 130 lb., and 119 lb.weight classes, respectively.In addition, junior PatrickKeller and seniors BrianDeroche and Juan Rodriguezare ranked third in their re-spective weight classes.

Furthermore, all of thesewrestlers competed success-fully at the recent OneontaTournament held on Janu-ary 2. Kiernan and Johnaswon the tournament in theirweight c lasses . Kel ler ,Danie ls , Deroche , andRodriguez all finished insecond place in their divi-sions. Kiernan deservesspecial recognition, as he

has recently posted his 100th win; inhis high school career, he has only lostfour matches.

The team’s true tests will come againstShenendehowa on February 7, as wellas Saratoga. Next match: Guilderland,this Wednesday at 6 PM.

Track coachplaces first at

DartmouthCoaches of sports teams have a

difficult job keeping all the athletesin line, giving “coachly” advice, andstrategizing about how to win eachcompetition. So it’s even more amaz-ing when, in addition to all that,they manage to get out there andcompete themselves. Darryl Bray, aphysical education teacher at Hill-side Elementary School and Assis-tant Indoor and Outdoor Track andField coach, participated in thepolevault competition at DartmouthCollege last Friday, January 9.Bray, a graduate of Niskayuna HighSchool and a former sectional cham-pion in the pole vault, had beenpracticing hard for the competition.His vault of 12’6,” although far fromthe personal record of 15’9” heachieved in college, was good enoughto earn second overall, and first forhis age division. Way to go, Coach Bray!

8 Sports January 16, 2004 The Warrior

Warrior Photo/Lisa D’Aniello

by Julia Stori and AshleeAtwell

SPORTS

Bowling's a sport, not justa game. How many of us re-ally understand the sport ofbowling? Many probablyknow how to score individu-ally but how many know howto score the team as a whole?

Every match includes twoteams and a set of threegames. There are six bowlerson varsity who generallybowl unless a JV bowler issubstituted in. Every bowleris matched up against an op-ponent from the other teamwho they will play for allthree games. For every gamethere are eight points thatcan be earned. There is onepoint given for every gamethat is won in the individualmatch-ups; since there aresix bowlers, that's a possiblesix points. Whichever teamhas earned more points atthe end of that one gameearns an extra two points.After all three games areplayed out, there is a possi-bility of earning up to a to-tal of 32 points. Got all that?

Some of the top bowler'son the boys team are seniorsAnthony Tebano and ZachBean, juniors Nick Tebanoand Radd Dewesse, andsophomores Matt Simone,and Joe Grant. Anthony

Bowling team strives for strong finishTebano leads the team witha game average of 209.1.Next in line are Simone andNick Tebano with averagescores of 195.7 and 194.5,respectively. As of Friday,January 9, the team's recordwas 3-7 but this means noth-

ing; as their coach Mr. Lambreminds us, there are manyhome matches later on this

season. Home matches are abig advantage since lanes"hook" differently and thefamiliarity is for the hometeam advantage. The teamhas had some tough matchesalready this season; six ofthem being away. They beat

Averill Park last Tuesday,January 6, but then lost toBurnt Hills the next day

when Burnt Hills bowledtheir highest score yet thisseason.

The team is made up ofmany different competitorsfrom various fall sports cre-ating a unified team thatworks well together. Al-though losing five seniorslast year the very youngteam has high hopes for theupcoming season.

In regards to sectionals,Simone said, "I think if ev-eryone is bowling well, we'llhave a good chance."

Nick Tebano was a littleless optimistic about theseason and said, "We're notas strong this year as wehave been in the past, butwe'll get a few wins by theend of the season.” The topteams in the section areBethlehem, Colonie, andGuilderland, whom they willbe facing in early Februaryfor the sectional match.

Their next match will betoday, January 16, afterschool at Columbia. The nexthome match will be on Tues-day, January 20, at Bowler'sClub on Rt. 7. Come supportthe team as they take on oneof the toughest teams outthere! Matches are free andbegin around 3:30 or 4.

�Additional reporting byKatie Sheehan

Weekly Highlights

Boys’ Backetball:

Boys’/ Girls’ Ski:

Girls’ Basketball:

Girls’ Indoor Track:

Girls’ Bowling:

Bowling:

Boys’ Swimming:

Wrestling:

Boys’ Indoor Track:

Ice Hockey:

No results reported

Win vs. Albany 98-71

Win 60-12 vs. Mohonasen

No results reported

Win vs. Shaker/Colonie 3-2Win vs. Saranac 3-2Win vs. CBA 5-2Win vs. Mohon/Schalmont 6-2Win vs. Plattsburgh 5-1Loss vs. CBA 2-5Tie vs. Shaker./Colonie 1-1

Loss vs. Colonie 52-60Loss vs. Burnt Hills 40-51

No results reported

Loss vs. Averill Park 46-53Loss vs. Colonie 36-73

13th place at Dartmouth

No results reported

Warrior photo / Jon Chow

STRIKE!: Junior Captain Radd Dewesse throws a strike at a recentpractice.